Upper Providence head-on crash hospitalizes 4

UPPER PROVIDENCE — A two-vehicle head-on crash sent four to the hospital Thursday night.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Ridge Pike and the entrance to the Court at Upper Providence around 6:30 p.m.

Upper Providence Police responded to and investigated the crash with some assistance from the Limerick Police.

Although it was clear that the vehicles involved struck each other head-on, after preliminarily checking out the scene, police were unsure of exactly what transpired that led to the crash.

As far as police could tell around 7:30 p.m., a dark green Mazda 626 was traveling eastbound and a blue Ford Focus was heading west on Ridge Pike when they collided.

The Mazda ended up on the grass across a sidewalk near the shopping center’s sign. It came to rest facing east near a row of bushes in front of a PNC Bank. Displaying serious damage to its front, the Mazda seemed to have sustained most of its damage to the driver’s side front section.

The Ford remained on the roadway and seemed to take the majority of its damage low on the front end.

Torn completely off the front, the Ford’s bumper lay in the grass with its sides pointed skyward like a “U.”

“I heard it,” said Aaron Stanek, who was working in the Target parking lot when the crash happened. “I didn’t hear much stopping.”

Police could be seen searching the eastbound lane of Ridge Pike, shining flashlights on faint tire marks that led from straight through the intersection and started around the traffic light there.

The four hospitalized due to the crash were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital. Police did not believe that their injuries were serious, though there were some reports of possible broken bones.

Trappe Fire Chief Brian Long, whose company responded to help clean up the scene along with the Limerick Fire Company, said all the victims were awake and alert when they were transported in two Trappe ambulances and one Friendship ambulance from Royersford.

Ridge Pike was shut down from Township Line Road down to Kline Road for approximately an hour and half after the crash.

Stanek said that section of Ridge Pike can be dangerous, especially for those trying to come out of the shopping center.